Hate speech case: MIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi arrested

Hyderabad: Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) leader Akbaruddin Owaisi was finally arrested on Tuesday in a hate speech case. He was arrested one month after he made the controversial speech.

He has been charged under section 122 and 153 (A).

Owaisi was straightaway taken under high security in a convoy of cars to Nirmal in Adilabad district, more than 200 km from here.

Security was also tightened along the route to Nirmal in the Telangana region of the state.

42-year-old Owaisi, the floor leader of his party in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, is expected to be produced before a court in Nirmal in connection with the registration of a case against him for alleged provocative speeches regarding the disputed Bhagyalakshmi shrine in the Charminar area.

Earlier in the day, Owaisi was subjected to medical tests to ascertain if he was fit to face questioning.

A team of doctors at the government-run Gandhi hospital conducted more than 10 tests on Owaisi. As per the medical report, Owaisi has adhesions and hernia in the abdomen and a bullet in right thigh pressing on sciatic nerve.

The MIM MLA in Andhra Assembly was at the hospital since around 11 am today. The police whisked the MIM leader from a separate entrance from where his supporters and the media had gathered at the hospital.

Earlier in the day, Owaisi’s supporters reportedly attacked vehicles outside Gandhi hospital. Many areas of Old Hyderabad are supposedly tense.

Owaisi had moved the High Court, seeking orders to restrain police from arresting him and also to quash cases booked against him in various police stations over his alleged hate speeches.

Hours after Owaisi, who returned from London early Monday, cited ill-health and sought four days` time to personally appear for questioning before police in Nirmal town, the investigation officer visited the MIM leader`s house to ascertain his condition.

Police in Nizamabad had also directed Akbar to appear before them on Tuesday in connection with a similar case in that town.

In his petition, Owaisi also sought directions to police to stop registering cases. He argued that cases can`t be registered in many police stations over his one or two speeches.

He alleged that a section of media telecast only part of his speech and police booked cases due to pressure from media. He also claimed that his political rivals were filing series of complaints.